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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />I I 1. WATER USE <br /> <br />A. Irrigated Lands <br /> <br />In order to provide a basis for evaluating benefits from regaining <br />full use of storage capacity at Santa Maria reservoir, it is necessary <br />to detenni ne the benefits or value of stored wa ter. The reservoi r is <br />a source of supplemental irrigation water diverted to both the Rio <br />Grande Canal and f40nte Vi sta Canal and used for crop irrigation. The <br />primary method of irrigation within the service area, especially under <br />the Rio Grande Canal, is using the canal flow for groundwater <br />recharge, then pumpi ng the wells for center pi vot spri nk1 er app1 i ca- <br />tion to the crops. <br /> <br />To assess the potential benefit of regained storage to irrigation <br />water users, the land classification and present use must be used as a <br />basis for comparison. The following sections discuss general land <br />classification and characteristics of areas served by irrigation water <br />from Santa Maria Reservoir, as well as general crop patterns. <br />Infonnation used was derived from data produced by the U.S. <br />Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service and the Colorado <br />Agricultural Service. <br /> <br />1. Land Classification <br /> <br />Stored water in the Santa 14aria Reservoir ser'/es irrigated land by <br /> <br />diversions to the Rio G 'ande and Monte Vista Canals. <br /> <br />[II - I <br />